Unending Grace

November 14, 2009, HQ Church, Seoul Korea

If we were to live our lives for our own glory, then this is not for True Parents, and Unificationists must not follow us. This is very important. Very, very important. Father asked me particularly to talk about this with the community, with all the brothers and sisters this week. So this is why I am sharing this heart with you. If we deny True Parents, if we claim that we are the new center, you must not follow us. It’s simply that simple. As Unificationists, our responsibility is to love and glorify True Parents, not any one of the True Children, not any one of the leaders in the Church or in any affiliate organization. Our role as Unificationists is to glorify True Parents. That has to be very clear.

Welcoming Remarks

Yeon Ah Nim:

Good Afternoon, brothers and sisters. Welcome to the headquarter at our Unification Church. It is really great to see you all. Today we sincerely hope and pray that as Unificationists we put our Heavenly Father and True Parents as first into our hearts, and that we love Heavenly Father and True Parents with our whole strength and with all our heart and spirit. Aju.

Hyung Jin Nim:

Good afternoon brothers and sisters. Let’s first manifest the Principle: give and receive action, four position foundation, “May I inherit the true love of God.” Aju.

I almost did it in Korean! (Laughs)

Today’s Cheon Seong Gyeong, Page 1666. And Father says, “You may look at nature and say, ‘Oh I don’t need the four seasons. I only like spring. I hate summer, I hate autumn, and I hate winter.’ However if you were to ask God, He would answer, ‘I love all the four seasons.’ Hence, you need to learn to like summer, autumn and winter, even though you have disliked them in the past.” Aju.

Brothers and sisters, Father talks about these beautiful seasons of our life. And as a movement, as a church, we also go through seasons. You know, it’s our hope and our prayer that in seasons of change we understand that after the winter comes a spring. As long as we keep True Parents at our center and learn to truly attend them and to glorify them in our lives, then the winter will not be as bitter and cold. And when we meet the spring, we’ll have all the love, and all the investment that we have made become fruitful and bloom into abundance. If you believe it, let’s give it up for God and True Parents today!

Main Sermon:

Brothers and sisters, today I want to talk to you about “Unending Grace.” Let’s first look at the World Scriptures today. We’re going to look at Christianity. This is Matthew 17:24. Let’s read this together: “And Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.’ ” (Matthew 17:24-25)

Let’s look at Buddhism today. This is the Lion’s Roar of Queen Srimala, the 3rd chapter. Let’s look at this together: “In accepting the true Dharma, may I abandon body, life and property, and uphold the true Dharma.” (Lion’s Roar of Queen Srimala 3)

This is Confucianism, the Analects 15.8. Let’s read this together. “And the Master said, ‘The determined scholar and the man of virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their virtue. They will even sacrifice their lives to preserve their virtue complete.’ ” (Analects 15.8)

And let’s take a look at True Father’s words. This is from the collection of speeches, 57th book. Let’s read that together: “The people who believe in religion are the people who go the way to establish God’s nation. Therefore you run into the obvious conclusion that the religion which doesn’t have sacrifice as its essence is a fake religion. Understand? Without sacrificing as an individual, one cannot take over the family’s duties; without sacrificing as a family, the family cannot take over the tribe’s duties; without sacrificing as a tribe, it cannot take over the people’s duties and without sacrificing as a people, it cannot take over the world’s duty. Therefore religion sacrifices. Someone who will be patient until the global realm of religious nations is established will be saved.” (Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s Words, Chapter 50, p. 176) Aju.

Let’s look at our core scripture today. We have just one core scripture; I really want to focus on this one. And this is coming from Matthew 22:34-38. Let’s read this together: “Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the Law, tested him with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ And Jesus Replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.’ ” (Matthew 22:34-38)

To love your Parent with all your heart, soul and mind is the greatest commandment, says Jesus. Thus to be a true filial son and daughter every emotion and every part of our intellect, our spiritual dimension, has to be saturated with the love for the Parent. And in the end, this is what True Parents ask of us, just as Jesus said that this is the first and greatest commandment.

When Abraham had to offer Isaac on the altar, think how crazy that was for Isaac. Abraham had been promised by God that he would be blessed with descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. Isaac was his only son. And think how irrational this was. Isaac could have made excuses at that time. He could have said, “You know Father, I don’t think that I can do that.” He could have said, — or maybe in his heart he could have said —“This is crazy, Father. I kind of don’t think you’re sane.” He could have said that his mother maybe duped his father. He could have also rationalized his disobedience by saying, “You know, Father, I’m not going to do this for you, because God promised that your descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky. And if I don’t live, you will never have those descendants.” But Isaac did not do that. He didn’t make excuses. He willingly got on the altar and willingly decided to sacrifice his life, if it was the will of God and his father Abraham.

We have to be very clear that the Unification Movement exists because of True Parents, because of nobody else. Every person in any position of leadership in the Unification Movement or affiliate organization exists because of True Parents. And the True Children exist because of True Parents. Not any other thing. As Unificationists, our first and most important calling is to love True Parents with all our heart and soul and mind. And even when it’s tough, even when we can’t understand and even when we feel hurt by them, we are still called by that greatest commandment that Jesus talked about, too love your God, to love His representative, True Parents, with all our heart, body and mind.

As True Children, as leaders in the Unification Church, as any leader in the Unification Church, we have a greater responsibility to try to live in this way. It’s a very important thing that we understand that this is our job as people in positions of authority or responsibility. And every decision we make must be for the glory of True Parents, not for ourselves, not for our family. I commonly get the question when I’m interviewed, “You know, after you, then I guess one of your children will take over the religious realm?” And I tell them, “Absolutely not. It is not — The best amongst (us), the best amongst us, I believe, will have to take the next step. The best, he who truly serves the public, he who truly inherits their grandparents’ heart, True Parents’ heart, not full of himself but empty himself, that is the person. That doesn’t have to be one of my children.”

I tell them that very clearly. If we were to live our lives for our own glory, then this is not for True Parents, and Unificationists must not follow us. This is very important. Very, very important. Father asked me particularly to talk about this with the community, with all the brothers and sisters this week. So this is why I am sharing this heart with you. If we deny True Parents, if we claim that we are the new center, you must not follow us. It’s simply that simple. As Unificationists, our responsibility is to love and glorify True Parents, not any one of the True Children, not any one of the leaders in the Church or in any affiliate organization. Our role as Unificationists is to glorify True Parents. That has to be very clear.

And I want to go through this because – I know it can be a little tardy or long and long winded -but I want to go over this just for the sake of clarity. Father truly asked to be clear about this at this time. If Ye Jin Nuna (elder sister) denies True Parents, or does not follow True Parents, Unificationists must not follow her. If Hyo Jin Hyung does not follow True Parents, Unificationists are not obliged to follow. If In Jin Nuna denies True Parents, Unificationists are not obliged to follow. If Heung Jin Hyung does not follow True Parents, Unificationists are not obliged to follow. If Un Jin Nuna does not follow True Parents, Unificationists are not obliged to follow. If Hyun Jin Hyung does not follow True Parents, Unificationists are not obliged to follow. If Kook Jin Hyung does not follow True Parents, Unificationists are not obliged to follow. If Kwon Jin Hyung denies True Parents or does not follow True Parents, then Unificationists are not obliged to follow. If Sun Jin Nuna does not follow True Parents, then Unificationists are not obliged to follow. If Young Jin Hyung does not follow True Parents, Unificationists are not obliged to follow. If I deny True Parents, and do not follow them, you must not follow me. If Yeon Jin denies True Parents, Unificationists are not obliged to follow. If Jeung Jin denies True Parents, Unificationists must not follow. If any third generation, any Moon, any future descendant or relative of True Parents, denies True Parents, does not follow them, we are not obliged to follow them as Unificationists. If any leader denies True Parents, calls them senile, or says they cannot make good decisions; Unificationists are not obliged to follow.

As a world president, this is part of my duty that Father has asked me to do. This is what True Father expects from an
y leader in a position of responsibility. The heartistic question is this: “Will you sacrifice yourself on the altar for me?” That is what Father asks us if we’re a leader in the movement. The reason he can ask this is because he has sacrificed his life for us. He has gone to death for us; he has been tortured; he has gone to hell for us, through the seven deaths and resurrections. He does not force us—do they?—he cannot coerce us to do that. But he can expect that from us, especially if we are in positions of authority. We are called with that 5% responsibility to love and to trust our parents with our heart, our mind and our soul. And to trust that their heart as God’s representative on earth is true, and is wise.

When we asked True Father to restructure the church, allow elections, to make leaders accountable to members and results, to manage church and businesses with assets transparently, we put our neck on the line. We had a lot of opposition from a lot of senior leadership. This was never done in the church history. So when Kook Jin Hyung and I requested to Father, this was very shocking. We did not reach unanimous support. Father at that point could have told us, “This is not my desire. You kids don’t know my desire—what are you, thirty years old, forty years old? You guys don’t know, you kids don’t know. You don’t understand me. You’re fired.” He could have done that. And we would have happily left, honored to have served him; for even if it was a short time, at least we tried. Till this day, if True Father says for us to quit, we will walk. We will walk and continue to love Father.

And personally, myself, I was always the youngest; I never thought that I would be in a position of responsibility, honestly speaking. I’m the youngest boy, I’m seven-eleven: I’m the seventh boy, eleventh child. There’s no way I ever thought I was going to have to take on responsibility in this movement. So for me, if True Father asks me to leave, it will be very normal for me. I will be very grateful. I tell my wife all the time, “Omma, you know, if Father decides to fire (me), if he says the direction is not right, then we must follow his will. We have to leave with love. We have to leave with honor.” Even if some members try to come to us and say, “We want to follow you! You were the only hope!” etc., we must deny them, and say, “We will not do that.” And we must be obedient to Father. We talk about this very frequently.

You know, Kook Jin Hyung had to let a lot of people go (fire them) in the business side of the church in 2005, four years ago— in the NGO side—and we had to also move people around in the church side as well. At the time, many people were very upset with that, saying that we weren’t favoring Unificationists, because he was bringing in new outside talent, people who were very qualified. Many people said we also were too quickly moving into witnessing, that we need to care for our own selves before we can witness. But we did not feel that that was true. Because that was the rhetoric we had said to ourselves for about thirty years in the Unification Church. So we pushed forward, looking at the whole, looking at our future as you see. And we realized that we needed to think differently, that a change had to be made to get us out of this negative growth rut that we were in as a Church. So we continued. We continued to push forward. We continued: Kook Jin, on the business side, continued to hire new outside talent, professionals from the top five companies. We continued to bring in new members into the Church, because we knew that as a Church in the long term it is so important to have membership care and growth. And because we knew that it is very important to raise Unificationists to feel responsible, to testify about True Parents, to witness about True Parents, and to welcome new members with open arms, to welcome new people into the community. We knew that these factors would continue to allow us to grow, even though we all pass away in this generation.

You know, for the first time in the Korean Church’s history, because of the changes that Father had approved and allowed, for the first time this year, the headquarters, which used to receive $10 million of subsidies from our Japanese sister, our mother church, for the first time the headquarters has reached sustainability and does not require funding or subsidy from the Japanese church. The Japanese Church has suffered too long. They have suffered much too long for the sake of our other churches, whether it be Korea, or America or anywhere else. The Japanese church has suffered much too long. And we all knew in our heart, we know, that it could not continue in that same pattern, where the Japanese members would have to literally shed their blood and lives for the sake of all the other churches, while all the other churches just receive. We all knew that that is not a sustainable model.

These things that have changed in the church, when we talk to VIP’s about this, to people who are very established in society, new people who we’re sharing our faith to, it’s very positive. Very positive. We get a wonderful reception. Even the media here in Korea has really turned around over the last two years. When people hear this, it improves their perception of True Parents, it improves their perception of the Unification Movement. It shows that our True Parents are not senile. They can make very lucid, rational decisions. And this brings greater glory to God, and to True Parents. It really is the responsibility of those who are serving True Parents to create the best environment and the best recommendations so that True Parents can have that glory.

This week we had a VIP lecture in Yeong Pyeong: some of the top women here in Korea were there. A very small group, purposely very small. And we shared many of these changes with them. They received it so positively. One of the ladies who is a Christian lady said, “It’s amazing that your father at the age of ninety—I mean you guys are thirty and forty—at the age of ninety, in this kind of culture, can hear your recommendations and decide, ‘Yes, we’re going to move in that way.’ That is amazing.” She was saying this to me. And this was so refreshing for me because it showed: that when we do things that glorify True Parents, when we empty ourselves and try to do for the greater good, even though it may be painful for a time, then glory does come back to True Parents. We saw it with our own eyes. See, Father wants to see whether or not we have the heart of trust that Isaac had towards Abraham. To sacrifice ourselves as leaders on the altar for him, for our father, this is what Father requests and asks of us—because he has already done it to save our eternal lives.

You see only when Isaac had that heart—and he did step on the altar in loyalty, and in faith, and in courage—only then did God save him, according to the story in the Bible. And only then did Isaac realize the true value of Abraham’s faith, and the true value of his father’s love for God. You see, only when we are willing to lay down our life for our Parents, especially if we have received the blessing of being able to serve them, when we are willing to live for them in that way, then, only then, will we understand the incredible sacrifice that they had gone through for us. Only then will we understand at least a little glimpse of the parental heart and the unending grace, the unending true love that even multiple deaths or the bowels of hell could not destroy. Let’s give it up one time for our True Parents. They are truly always our eternal center.

And, you know I really departed from our normal service style this week because even for myself, it’s a very tough week for me. You know, and I just want to be able to share my heart. Because even this week Father has asked me to take on the responsibility of UPF. And so for me this not only came as a big shock but through multiple discussions with Father. He was very strong that this was the direction he wanted to go. So for me this kind of situation not only is weird, but it’s also very heartistically difficult. As you know, my brother was in that role, and for me it is clear that as children of True Parents, as leaders — as any leader in this movement worldwide, doesn’t matter where — our service, our priority, is to glorify True Parents. It is not about ourselves. It’s not about our intentions or egos. It is only about True Parents. That’s the only thing that lasts and endures in time. For us that has always been our position and priority.

In 2005, when I had the chance to speak to leaders, I told them: there’s no new king, no new center, there is no new True Parents, forever. There’s only one True Parents that has been victorious in inheriting the true love of God. Only one True Parents that has been victorious in the victory of the seven deaths and resurrections, no other. There is no other than that. Generations will come and go. But True Parents are the eternal rock upon which this movement stands. That has to be absolutely clear.

I want to end with just this one quote from Father. Let’s read this together. These are Father’s words; this is Book Three. And let us read this together, “Let us all carry in ourselves the heart of parents and the body of a servant, and let us shed sweat for the sake of earth, tears for the sake of mankind, and blood for the sake of heaven. Let us never forget that we carry on our shoulders the historical cross: the responsibility to remove the grief and heartache of our Parent, the Great Lord of all creation. Let us all move forward to the way of salvation or the world.” Aju. (3-30-90, Sun Myung Moon).

Let us now enter into our final meditation practice.

Final Meditation Practice:

Let us simply close our eyes, and let us return to that resurrected homeland, that has been brought back to life by the victory of the inheritance of true love, the seven deaths and resurrections, the victory of the parental heart.

We are no longer in this sanctuary but let us visualize ourselves now walking on a beautiful meadow. This meadow was once desert, dry parched land, which is now abundant and overflowing with hot springs and rivers and streams. As we look towards the left we will see a beautiful cool stream meandering down. We will notice that that resurrection power is present in that stream as well. Let us take time to listen to that power of resurrection, the ever-flowing life of that stream that has been reborn.

As we walk forward, let us notice our feet: besides our feet we will notice beautiful flowers that bloom, resurrected from the dry earth. As we look into the sky, we will see the dark clouds disappear and dissipate. And we will notice a beautiful sky. We will notice the beautiful midday sun, a rainbow painted across the sky.

As we look forward we will notice True Parents there, in their holy robes, waiting for us. Let us go before True Parents; let us kneel before True Parents. True Father with his right hand and True Mother with the left hand, place their hands on top of our head. They pray upon us and they anoint us. They tell us, “May you inherit the true love of God.” As we receive that blessing, we will feel from the head all the way to the tips of our feet, we will feel this powerful energy, like a wave of energy, moving through our entire body. We will notice that any sick cells or unhealthy cells in our physical body become completely resurrected. Any cells that have died also are resurrected and brought back to health. We will notice that our spirit body, any of the dark portions, dissipate, fade away, and that our spirit self illuminates in the twelve directions.

As we receive this blessing, as we breathe in, in our hearts let us say, “I am alive.” As we breathe out, in our hearts, let us say, “Thank you.” As we breathe in, in our hearts let us say, “My family is alive.” As we br
eathe out, in our hearts, let us say, “Thank you.” As we breathe in, in our hearts let us say, “My nation is alive.” As we breathe out, in our hearts, let us say, “Thank you.” Final inhalation: as we breathe in, “My God is alive.” As we breathe out, in our hearts, “Thank you.”

God and True Parents have blessed us with the blessed life. That is to be a greater blessing to our spouse, to our family, tribe, nation, world, cosmos, God; to be able to be a living sacrifice that can be the victory of heaven. Let us join our hands, manifest the Principle: give and receive action, four position foundation, lift it up, hands coming together, “May I inherit the true love of God.” Aju.

Altar Call Prayer:

Let us pray. Let us close our eyes and gently lift our hands up.

Heavenly Father, Heavenly Parent, dearest most beloved True Parents, we want to thank You for all that You have done; for all, Father, the miraculous things that You are doing in our lives, and the things that You will do. Father, we always have faith in You. We know that You will make a way.

Father, today we want to be able to get the resurrection power on the inside of us. We want to pray for unity. Father, we want to pray for everybody to be clear that True Parents are the only True Parents. We want to be centered, Father. We want to move forward with clarity. We do not want to shame True Parents. Father, let us be filial to True Parents. Let us actualize our five percent responsibility, to be clear that True Parents are the only True Parents. Father, we want to be able to serve them, to glorify them. Father, please give us that clarity and strength, that wisdom, the courage that comes from within.

Father, we know that no Unificationist can do another Unificationist’s five percent responsibility. We know that no True Child can do another True Child’s five percent responsibility. We know that no leader can do another leader’s five percent responsibility, so, Father, let us do our five percent. Father let us be the example of loyalty and filial piety to True Parents. Let us be the example that the descendants will see and want to emulate, not because we are perfect, not because we are flawless, but even though we have sins and flaws. True Parents who had died for us seven times and been resurrected from death, from the grave, have given us the chance of serving You, have given us the incredible chance and blessing to be alive and participate in establishing Your kingdom.

We thank You so much, because we know, our Father, that we aren’t perfect—nobody is. But we want to ask You, Father, that we may have a greater faith, that we may have a greater loyalty, that we can increase our prayers and that we may increase our devotions so that in this time we can bring unity.

Father, we know that the outside world is watching us. We don’t want to shame True Parents at this time. We want to bring glory to True Parents at the end of their life. We want the world to truly respect and to truly see the value of the Lord that has come again, to understand that he is here who has inherited and completed the mission of Jesus Christ, the lord and savior. Father, we want to have that kind of faith, the faith that has sustained this church and this movement and, Father, this whole tradition. We want to ask You to give us that kind of faith.

Father, this day we want to offer our gratitude, because we want to truly offer ourselves with the heart of Isaac at the request of Abraham, to offer ourselves on the altar, so that our father may be glorified. Let us be such children, that, if we hold any type of responsibility, we are responsible and accountable to that standard. We thank You so much.

Father, please give us more insight, more wisdom. Give us more maturity. Give us more unity. Father, give us more faith, and give us more hope. For we know that, even though we may fail in this generation, we know that still Your kingdom will come to pass because True Parents have been victorious. Let us not, Father, see ourselves in a greater way than True Parents, but let us always come to them with humility, with reverence, let us come to them as our Parents who have saved us.

Thank you so much, Father. We want to offer this heart today to You. We pray that all the brothers and sisters around the world can become one, truly that we may glorify True Parents and, Father, that we can serve them, and truly let the Unification movement shine and glorify them for You. Thank You so much.

We pray all these things, with the heart that truly wants to inherit the true love of the seven deaths and resurrections, the true love of the parental heart, we pray as Your children, in our own names and in the name of the precious True Parents, we pray these things. Aju.

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